The first sign of what was to come was the howling that filled the night air. Dominick stared watching the horizon from the border of the pack's area. His heart thumped in his chest as the full power of the conflict fell upon them, and the wind conveyed the tiniest hint of Anabella's soldiers.Despite the raging tempest of emotions inside of him, Dominick's voice remained firm as he ordered, "Gather the warriors." His eyes were keen as he turned to his bag. "This is it. We battle for our future and our lives.With grim determination on their faces, the pack members advanced quickly. There was no time to spend, but Dominick could see the doubt in some of their eyes. Anabella's army was approaching. And all they had battled for would be gone if they failed to hold the line.With a resolute but pallid expression, Lisa stood behind him. She'd learned to resist the wolf spirit that fought within her, to utilize it, but never to allow it to rule her. She fixed her gaze on his, and for a min
The trees surrounded the pitch-black clearing like quiet sentinels, while the center of the forest was enveloped in shadows. The ritual was happening in the middle. With the energy of the Obsidian Stone throbbing with black power, Anabella stood at the center of the menacing circle, and Dominick's gaze was fixed on her. The stone was broken, but it still had a lot of force. The air around them vibrated as the crackling energy emanated from it.Desperate to escape, Dominick's Lycan form surged under his skin as his hands tightened. His heart ached from dread of what Anabella was about to do, not from the stress of the combat going on around him. He could feel the tiniest throb of life inside Lisa as she lay asleep in the middle of the ceremonial circle, her body strangely quiet."You believe that you can stop me?" As her gaze met his, Anabella's icy and scornful voice broke the uncomfortable quiet. "You haven't succeeded, Dominick. Your priceless Lisa and your priceless pack are alread
The surrounding woodland has turned into a magical fire. A storm of power surged through the air, dark energy that threatened to destroy everything. The weight of Lisa's body, now completely under Anabella's control, and the power of the Obsidian Stone were palpable to Dominick in every fiber of his existence. His heart tightened with anger and terror as her dead eyes, glowed with the stone's sinister enchantment, stabbed him like daggers.Dominick's heart raced as he thought, "I can't let this happen." Even the sheer power of his Lycan form, which rushed through his body, was insufficient. Every move they took was thwarted by Anabella's evil power, and the enchantment all around them was too strong.Anabella sang in a language Dominick couldn't understand while standing in the middle of the ceremonial circle with her hands up high. Her gaze remained focused on Lisa's still figure, her expression a mask of warped contentment.With anger in her voice, Anabella said, "You're too late, D
There was black energy in the air. As Dominick gazed at the Obsidian Stone, its ragged edges glimmering with the pulse of the evil energy it contained, his heart thumped in his chest. It seemed like a countdown at every second. This cursed item was tied to Lisa's life and soul. The stone was the secret, and Anabella stood on the edge of triumph. Lisa would be gone forever if Dominick didn't take action right once and destroy it.Lisa was barely hanging on, her body rigid, her eyes dead, still trapped in the ceremonial circle. She had lost everything because of the Obsidian Stone. What about Anabella? Standing opposite from Dominick, she had the look of someone who was certain she had won, her eyes glimmering with ill will.Dominick said, his voice low and angry, "I won't let you do this." Long and keen, his claws sank into the earth below. His Lycan form's strength rose, but it didn't appear to be enough to match the stone's sheer might.As she watched him struggle, Anabella's lips fo
Dominick's surroundings had become still and chilly. The weight of loss and hopelessness appeared to loom over the last of the broken magic of the Obsidian Stone. His hands shook as he held Lisa's limp body, her once-bright warmth no longer there. Her eyes, once full of life, were now glassy and vacant, and her chest no longer rose and fell with breath.As Dominick looked down at her, his heart broke. His mind was refusing to comprehend the truth of what was occurring, and his pulse was thundering in his ears. She had been let down by him. She had been let down by the pack. He was now unable to envision a way out of this dire situation."Lisa… please," he said in a broken murmur. The coolness of her skin just made the agony more excruciating when his palm lightly touched her face. "You are necessary to me. You are necessary to us. I can't let you go. Not in this manner.As he hugged her closer, the blackness around them pushing in, tears clouded his eyes. Even while the stone's enchan
The world seemed unending, gloomy, and heavy.In Lisa's arms, Dominick lay still, his body icy and unresponsive. His once-strong and regular pulse was now hardly there. With each faint, labored breath, his chest scarcely raised. He was on the verge of death since the energy that had rushed through him had vanished due to his sacrifice. His eyes were still closed, and the once-bright green had turned into a drab, empty void.As Lisa held him tight and let her tears fall over his skin, her pulse raced in her chest. Even though she could still feel his little pulse, she felt as if she would choke with the weight of their predicament. She had felt his vitality ebbing away, along with the optimism she had held onto. The sight of him like this was almost unbearable to her. It felt obvious now, yet she had always dreaded losing him."No... "Please, no," Lisa said, her voice trembling. She pressed her forehead to his and ran her fingers through his hair. "Dominick, I can't let you go. For me,
Dominick could feel it in his bones; the war was upon them. Every step he took seemed heavier than the previous, and the woodland buzzed with the force of the approaching storm. There was no time to relax, but he could still feel the effects of his near-death experience and the strength he had given up to save Lisa. The pack needed him as Anabella's soldiers drew near.His Lycan form steamed under his skin as he stood, his hand clutching a fallen branch to stabilize himself. Although the anguish persisted and continued to chew at him, it was overpowered by the strong urge to defend his pack and fight for what was left of them.Despite the fatigue that dragged him down, Dominick's voice was crisp and powerful as he said, "Get ready." The warriors of the pack assembled, their eyes full of unflinching allegiance and their features set in deadly resolve. "Together, we confront our biggest foe to yet. We defend one another as well as our place.He looked at Chelsea, Marcus, and the others
Anabella's evil power coiled and twisted in the air above her, making the ground under Dominick's feet quake. The winds howled with the ferocity of the storm she was calling out, and the sky had taken on an unearthly black hue. As Anabella lifted her hands higher, the magic whirling fiercely about her, the very air around them sparked with terrible force.Anabella growled, her voice echoing across the battlefield, "I will put an end to this." "Everything you cherish, including your land and pack, will be reduced to ashes." You will never oppose me.Dominick felt his heart racing. Even though he was weak and had almost run out of life force trying to rescue Lisa, he wasn't going to give up just yet. He would die before he let Anabella to ruin all they had since he had struggled for this moment.Lisa was barely upright next to him, her body vacillating between her wolf and human forms. She had sacrificed everything to bring him back, and now she was on the verge of passing out under the
Lisa felt it again the ever-present pull of darkness, thrumming under her skin like a beating of its own. The mirror had shown her a truth she hadn’t been ready to face, and now it felt as if the very shadows of the Moon Goddess were wrapping themselves around her, smothering her. Every breath was harder than the last, and the fight to keep herself in control was becoming unbearable.She stood by the edge of their camp, looking into the forest’s darkness, trying to calm the chaos whirling inside her. Dominick had insisted on staying close, despite her protests. He hovered behind her now, but she didn’t turn to face him. She couldn’t."I can feel it," she whispered, though she wasn’t sure whether she was speaking to him, or to the darkness that clawed at her thoughts. "It’s like it’s alive in me, Dominick. It’s getting stronger with every passing moment. I don’t know how much longer I can fight it."Dominick stepped forward, his movements light but filled with haste. He reached for her
Lisa stood at the edge of the old ruins, her heart pounding as the weight of their task pushed down on her. Dominick was by her side, his presence a steadying force, but even he couldn’t deny the unease that had settled over their pack.They had come here to find answers, but the ruins were steeped in silence, their old stones worn by centuries of neglect. The air was thick with an eerie energy, and Lisa could feel it in the pit of her stomach something dark, something old, was waiting."Are you sure this is the right place?" Lisa asked, her voice low, almost respectful.Dominick glanced at her, his eyes filled with purpose. "It’s the only place left, Lisa. The old books... they all point here. The answers are hidden in these ruins. We just have to find them."She nodded, but doubts remained in her mind. The pack’s trust in her was weakening. They didn’t say it, but Lisa could feel the strain. She had once been their center, their guide, their link to the Moon Goddess. Now, without th
The first thing Lisa felt was warmth. It wasn’t the kind of warmth that could be mistaken for sunlight or the heat of a fire, but the kind of warmth that pulsed deep within her chest, spreading through her limbs, wrapping around her like a protective embrace.She blinked, slowly opening her eyes. The world around her was blurry at first, fading in and out of focus. But as her senses began to sharpen, she could feel it—the weight of Dominick’s arms around her, holding her close. The familiar scent of him, of the pack, surrounded her, grounding her. And yet, something was wrong.Something was very wrong.Lisa sat up with a sharp gasp, her body trembling from the sheer effort it took to move. She looked around, eyes wide, searching for an answer. The pack was gathered around them, silent, watchful, and… worried. They looked as though they were waiting for something waiting for her."Lisa?" Dominick’s voice was scratchy, filled with a quiet desperation she hadn’t heard before. "Are you ok
As Dominick's hands hovered above Lisa's motionless body, they shook. Even though the combat was done, it seemed like the conflict had only just started. He stared at her chest, looking for some indication that she was still alive. His anguish made every breath feel heavy and shallow. Her face had turned pale and lifeless. Everything he didn't want to know was revealed to him by the blood stains on her clothing."You can't leave. In a ragged echo of the man, he once was, Dominick muttered to her, "You just can't." Leaning down, he brushed a lock of hair away from her face, allowing the tears he had been suppressing to finally fall."Please, Lisa. Get your eyes open. Return to me.Around them, the pack had gathered in stillness. Even though they had prevailed in the fight, it felt meaningless. His evil power had been broken, and Eryndor's citadel had collapsed, but at what price? With her heart as frigid as the stone under her, Lisa, their ray of hope, lay still.Marcus's face was unre
There was a lot of darkness in the room, and the shadows were thick and moving around them like living things. The stone floor beneath Dominick was stained with blood as he lay unconscious, his body broken and battered. With tears in her eyes and her heart racing, Lisa knelt next to him, but there was no time for sorrow. She was thinking of only one thing.They all needed to be saved by her.In front of them, tall and victorious, Eryndor's eyes were full of vile laughter. "Lisa, you believe you have won, but the game is far from over." The air felt oppressive, and his voice was like ice. "There is no force or power in this world that can defeat me."Lisa's heart ached as she felt the warmth of Dominick's pulse wane with every second that went by, and her hands shook as she reached out to touch him. Even though she still had a close bond with him and the pack, it wasn't sufficient. Not quite yet.Then something changed within her.Her inner wolf spirit awoke with a roil, its restless e
The pack was positioned before the imposing gates of Eryndor's stronghold, which appeared to have impenetrable walls and a dense, oppressive, and dark aura. The weight of the approaching conflict made the air motionless. With the resolve that had brought them this far, Dominick's eyes were hard and his mind was keen. They would put an end to this now.“All units, move out!” he ordered, his voice like a razor slicing through the quiet.With ferocious determination, the pack charged ahead, their warriors trailing behind. Standing by Dominick's side, Lisa felt the strength of the black magic emanating from the fortress walls, her heart pounding and her thoughts turning into its own battlefield.They were nearly instantly struck by the first wave of rogue wolves, their eyes blazing with the strange light of Eryndor's might. The pack was more than ready, but they were swift, vicious, and unrelenting.With her claws cutting through the air and tearing through the rogue wolves that approache
The vista in front of them was a never-ending length of rocky land and forest that led to the impending fortress of Eryndor. With the burden of the trip bearing down on him, Dominick led the way. The strain in the air was evident, and each step felt like it may be his last. The odds were stacked against them in the impending last fight.Lisa followed closely behind him, her steps steady but her thoughts focused on the future. They both understood the seriousness of the situation, and their closeness was strong despite their inability to express it verbally. Although they all had a part to play, nobody could foresee the cost of winning.Marcus kept up with the others despite the emotional and physical strain of saving Chelsea. Even while his expression was fixed on stern determination, his eyes would occasionally flicker with the wounds from the ambush, both the ones on his body and the ones still present in his heart. Chelsea was almost lost to him. He would not permit such to occur o
Dominick stood at the edge of the camp, surveying his warriors' faces while the wind howled all around him. He felt as though the entire universe was resting on his shoulders. The moment had arrived. They were at their breaking point. Eryndor was too near his objective, too risky. In his bones, Dominick knew that the last battle was coming.The tension in the air was broken by Dominick's voice as she said, "We can't wait for more signs, more opportunities." "Now we fight. We battle together.Though there was a hesitancy and a sense of trepidation, the pack stirred and whispers of agreement rippled through them. They had suffered a great loss. They were still grieving over the loss of their siblings in the previous conflict.Chelsea stepped forward from the crowd and said, "Dominick." Her voice was steady, but her eyes were rimmed in red. You want us to put everything on the line. After everything we've lost... after everything we've endured...Dominick responded, his eyes hardening, "
The tension in the camp was high due to the weight of Chelsea's capture. Marcus paced, anger and hopelessness swirling in his head. His fists were clinched at his sides, and his eyes were bloodshot. He was being tormented by the idea of losing her and failing her.Lisa murmured softly, "Marcus," moving into his direct line of sight.He halted his pacing and looked at her, his jaw clenched. "I'm pursuing her." I can't just sit here doing nothing.The unadulterated agony in his voice made Lisa's heart hurt. She was aware of Chelsea's importance to him. "I get it, but we can't just show up without a strategy, Marcus. We shall be met by Eryndor.Marcus shot back, his voice strained and low, "I don't care." There's Chelsea inside. She cannot be left to rot in that hellhole by me.Lisa paused, fully aware of the dangers. After that, we'll travel together. However, we must consider this. Dark magic guards Eryndor's stronghold, and he won't make things simple.For a minute, Marcus's eyes soft